Although for centuries doctors recognised tongue-tie as a congenital anomaly that might interfere with infant sucking, since 1950 paediatricians had emphatically denied that the condition exists or causes a problem.¹ Judging from Mr Mervin Griffiths’ recent letter,² it appears that this scepticism persists.

I became convinced in 1960 that tongue-tie sufficiently severe to impair sucking was a real, although uncommon, entity. …